Chevrolet is taking their sweet time unveiling the seventh generation 2014 Corvette, and they’re making us savour every little morsel of information before its slated Detroit Motor Show debut next year. Here we have official details of the engine that will power the ‘Pride of America’.
Boasting a capacity of 6.2-litres, the LT1 small block V8 engine has an output of 335 kW and peak torque of 610 Nm. The LT1 V8 incorporates direct injection, continuously variable valve timing, a high 11.5:1 compression ratio and a cylinder-deactivating Active Fuel Management system that helps it exceed 11 L/100 km fuel consumption on the highway cycle.
Other notable points about the new engine are its all-aluminium block and oil pan, a dry-sump system with oil-spray piston cooling and a specially cast 4-into-1 exhaust manifold. All these technologies should get the Corvette from a standstill to 100 km/h in less than four seconds, GM says.
Sam Winegarden, vice president of Global Powertrain Engineering says, “More than just great horsepower, the LT1 has been optimised to produce a broader power band. Below 4 000 r/min, the torque is comparable to that of the legendary 7.0-litre LS7 of the Corvette Z06.”
GM also says they have spent more than 10 million hours (really, that many, that is more than 1 111 years!) of computational analysis during the development phase of the engine, to make the combustion system in the LT1 one of the most advanced in the world.
We can’t help but notice Chevrolet’s unwillingness to opt for forced induction on the new LT1 V8, unlike Mercedes-Benz, who’ve downsized their big 6.2-litre in favour of a 5.5-litre twin-turbo. For a fabled sports car like the Corvette is that a good thing or a bad thing?
